Q. & A. 711 to 1707 with solved Papers css 1971 to date

CHARACTER
Although Mansur was cruel and treacherous and killed even the persons who helped laying the foundation of the dynasty for which acts he was feared and despised, still he was religious minded and indulged himself in nothing which was unlawful and profane. He was diligent and devoted the morning to State affairs and heard the despatches at the day and took counsel with his ministers after evening (Maghrib) prayer. He was himself laborious and caused his officers to work hard. William Muir says, ”His hand was light, yet firm, upon his governors, and the administration consequently good.” He elaborated the postal organization arid made the postal directors record every day happening in their jurisdiction officers conduct and even the nature and quantity of corn sown in the field and despatch to him daily. This made the officers alert and the administration smooth. Mansur always appointed able governors preferably from his kinsmen though clients and non-Arabs were not barred from holding high posts and punished them on infringement of duties. Abu Ayyub Muryani who was his wazir and Diwan was charged with embezzlement of thirty millions dinars given to develop farms in alAhwaz and his property was confiscated and Rabi b. Yunus was appointed in his place. He fortified the strategic places and posted strong force, there constructed mosques and caravanserais with fountains and accelerated postal service with mules and camels. Due to his good administration and partly thrift the treasury was full and sufficient to cover ten years expenditure after his death. Three million dirhams had been exacted from the financial exchequer of Khalid ibn Barmak alone. There were besides Jewels 14,000,000 dinars and 60,000,000 dirhams in the treasury. Living was cheep and people were happy.
Fat was sold six seers a dirham, honey five seers a dirham, olive oil eight seers a dirham, and mutton 30 seers a dirham. During his time the Arabs lost their pre-eminence in army, court, society and culture and predominance of the Persian culture was begun to be felt. Schools for translation were established. Many Magians converted to Islam, brought Indian and Persian influence in learning and philosophy. The Indian book of astronomy Sindhind was translated into Arabic by Ibrahim al-Fazari. Jaur Jais a famous physician of the hospital of Jundisphur was his personal physician and translated for
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Political and Cultural History of Islam

him a number of books on medicine. The books written by Suqrat (Socrates) and Jalinus (Galen) were translated for him by another court physician. Tradition began to be composed and astronomy, medicine and history began to be studied widely. Abu Hanifah and Malik ibn Anas were the great traditionalists of this time. The free intercourse with the Greeks the encouragement given to the Persians and the Khurasanis laid the foundation of the development of intellectual life in the ’Abbasid period.
Mansur reigned nearly twenty-two years. He was the real founder of the Abbasid dynasty, although Saffah was the first Khalifah of this dynasty. His character was a mixture of opposites. To the enemy he was cruel and treacherous and to friends he was kind and liberal. He never spared a man who was considered dangerous to the throne. The murder of Abu Muslim and Abdullah who helped him greatly to raise the Abbasids to power and prestige, and his treatment to the descendants of Ali, the fourth Khalifah, are the darkest records in the Abbasid history. The famous historian Suyuti says, ”Mansur was the first, who occasioned dissensions between the Abbasids and the Alids, for before that they were united.” If we forget the perfidious side of his character, ”our estimate of Mansur,” says Muir, ”would be very different”. ”As a Muslim his life was religious and exemplary. Nothing profane was ever seen at his court”.
He was a true dispenser of justice and he himself set up an example to his subjects of strict obedience to the constituted court of justice. He did not feel any shame to appear before the Qazi as an ordinary litigant when he was summoned by the latter on the complaint of some camel-owners. He admired the Qazi and rewarded him for fearlessness and impartial judgment, though the decision was not in his favour. As a politician, a statesman and a ruler he was almost rivalled in his time. He devoted his time and energy to the development of the condition of his subjects and their dwelling places. He was a man of rare energy and strength of mind. He was cool and calculating. He was diligent in the business of the State of which ”he devoted the first part of every day; the afternoon he spent with his family: and again after evening prayer the heard the
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despatches of the day and took counsel with his minister, retiring late to rest and rising with the day-spring for morning prayer”.3
Mansur had laid the foundations of the Abbasid state. His combination of political vision and pragmatic approach had led to the development of a powerful secular monarchy. But this power, impressive and broadly based though it was, could lead to problems the division between the ruling elite and the bulk of the Muslims, which had been typicafof Umayyad rule, remained. Mansur secured the dynasty he did not satisfy’the aspirations of those who wanted a community led by a divinely guided Imam. It was left to his successors to try to bridge this gap.4 In his reign the East began to exercise a marked effect on the manners and habits of the West. Persian costume became the fashionable dress at Court. Scholars from the East held high posts. The Arabs lost their pre-eminence not only in the army and at Court but also in the society at large. He was the patron of arts and science. He established charitable and educational institutions throughout the Empire. Under him literature, history, medicine and especially astronomy began to be studied and a provision was made for the translation of foreign books on arts and science.
Muir. The Caliphate, P.454.
Hugh Kennedy, The Early Abbasid Caliphate, P.93.

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